Self loathing
by Arumage
Summary: Issei knelt down to check on Irina "There's no pulse." He said weakly but loud enough for everyone nearby to hear him. Suddenly there was a massive killing intent coming off him, it made Kiba's seem like nothing in comparison to the rage that was coming from Issei at that moment. An old one-shot that I found on my google docs.


"They really don't make them like they used to," Kokabiel said floating above the Occult research club along with Xenovia who watched in horror as he was waving Irina around by her neck. "I was expecting something out of this one since she can use an Excalibur but seriously. She was done in under a minute, what's the point of getting someone to protect a sword if they can't even protect themselves. Here she's not got anything on a fallen angel woman but she might be your type, red dragon." He threw her to the ground in front of Issei. "Her body is still warm, so use her while you can." He laughed as he took off with the Excalibur fragment Irina was charged to protect in tow.

Issei knelt down to check on Irina "There's no pulse." He said weakly but loud enough for everyone nearby to hear him. Suddenly there was a massive killing intent coming off him, it made Kiba's seem like nothing in comparison to the rage that was coming from Issei at that moment. "Kokabiel!" Issei screamed at the sky as he ran off towards the fallen angel's direction.

"Issei wait," Rias called after him, but he was too far gone. "Kiba, Akeno, Koneko, after him, NOW." She ordered her pieces.

"I'm going too." Xenovia said clearly she too wasn't happy with what Kokabiel had done and was chasing after Issei shortly afterwards.

"Should I go to?" Asia asked.

"No," Rias said summoning her evil pieces. "Don't tell Issei about this," Rias said taking her remaining Knight piece and placing it on Irina's chest.

"You aren't going to…" Asia said.

"I am. I just hope that neither of them will end up hating me for this." Rias said as she began to revive Irina.

In the aftermath of the fight with Kokabiel, Issei was still distraught, he knew that Kokabiel was being punished, but even knowing that the one responsible was suffering in Cocytus doesn't make him feel any better about what happened. It's only been two days but Issei is struggling to deal with the loss and Rias and Asia staying elsewhere meant that he wasn't even able to distract himself. He was left alone with his thoughts.

"Ise?" Asia asked opening the door to his room pulling him out of his stupor.

"Asia? Hey, what's up?" Issei asked the young girl as he stood up from his bed.

"Buchou would like your help with something," Asia said motioning for him to follow her.

"Sure thing," Issei responded before following the nun out of the room.

"Ah Ise, sorry I was away but I had to deal with something, but it's not been going well," Rias said once Issei arrived at the apartment that Asia led him to. Apparently, this was the building where Kiba, Koneko and Akeno live.

"Well, what's the problem?" Issei asked with genuine curiosity.

"It's my new knight. She hasn't taken to the news particularly well." Rias explained vaguely.

"New knight? Do you have another new piece? That's awesome." Issei said excitedly. "What's she like?"

At that moment the door creaked a little.

"Well, that's the most progress we've gotten out of her all day," Rias said.

"Wait, who is she?" Issei asked.

"Ise, my new knight, is Irina Shidou, your childhood friend, I revived her once you ran off after Kokabiel and thanks to Asia we got her over here for healing but she hasn't taken all to well to becoming a devil," Rias said.

"Of course she hasn't" Issei yelled shocking everyone present. "That girl's been dead set on going to heaven her entire life. All she ever wanted was her eternal happiness and to be with go-" Issei stopped to wince as he almost said the g-word "you know who and you stole it away from her. This isn't like Asia who had been turned on by the church and whilst she still believes wanted friends more than anything. Irina still had the church, still had family, you've taken a lot more from her by reviving her than you saved." Issei said before walking off.

"Ise" Rias called after him.

"I'm going to deal with this because I promised I would help you out with anything bothering you. But I'm not happy with you doing this." Issei called back as he made his way home. Once home Issei asked his parents for Irina's dad's number and made a phone call.

About a week later Asia and Rias had returned to Issei's house, Irina still wouldn't leave the apartment, not even accepting food. Issei had tried every day to get in to talk to her but she always blanked him. It was just after Issei, Asia and Rias had gotten back from school when a taxi arrived outside their house.

"There's an exorcist in there, a super powerful one at that," Rias said shivering and holding Asia close she reached for Issei but he moved towards the car.

"Took you long enough old man," Issei said as the exorcist left the car

"Sorry, Ise-kun It's a lot of work to get time off for a family visit like this. It's even harder to get clearance for this." The man said pointing to a sword at his side.

"Anyway, follow me," Issei said as he began walking towards the apartment building.

"Ise who is this man?" Rias asked.

"Touji Shidou. Irina's father." The man said holding out a hand for Rias to shake.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Rias said nervously.

"So you're the one who turned my sweet little angel into a devil?" Touji asked.

"That would be correct," Rias said nervously because of the holy aura coming off both him and the sword at his side.

However, instead of getting angry Touji turned to Issei and said: "I always thought that would end up being your doing." Making everyone sweatdrop.

"What do you mean?" Issei asked.

"Forget it," Touji said collecting himself before continuing. "Anyway lady Gremory. It may be presumptuous of me to say this but, thank you."

Rias was shocked at this, she had turned this priests only daughter into a devil and he was thanking her. Given Issei's anger at her when he found out what she had done it she was surprised that a priest was less angry. "What do you mean?"

"Well if not for you I wouldn't be coming out here to get my daughter to stop moping around. I would be coming here to collect her body. Even if I am a priest I am a parent first, everyone from Ise-kun to Michael-sama knows that, so even though you turned my Irina into a devil, you still saved her life, any parent would thank you for doing such a thing." Touji explained.

"Oh," Rias said getting a little lost in thought at what he had said.

"We are here," Issei announced.

"We'll leave it to me. Also you girls are staying at Gourou-san's house right?" Touji asked. Rias and Asia nodded. "See if you can get a spare room made up for Irina." and with that, he knocked on the door. "Angel, you in there?" Touji asked.

"Daddy?!" Irina shouted from inside. Shocking all the devils there

"It's me, come on and let your old man in, I came all this way to see you," Touji said.

"One second," Irina said, a minute later the door opened and Touji entered the apartment.

"So what now?" Asia asked.

"I'll wait here," Issei said. "If anything comes up I'll text you."

"Alright then. Shall we go, Asia, apparently I need to call my brother." Rias said with a smirk.

"Alright then," Asia said taking off with Rias.

Inside

"What are you doing here?" Irina asked her dad as he sat down.

"Visiting my adorable daughter, what does it look like?" Touji said.

"That's not what I mean. Who called you?" Irina asked

"Ise-kun did, when he called me he sounded super mad at that Rias girl, I don't blame him. I mean she did kind of rob you straight from the pearly gates." Touji said, causing Irina to tense up a little. "Sorry."

"It's ok, that's not what I'm troubled about," Irina said trembling.

"Then what is it?" Touji asked. "I promise you, no matter what I will always be there for you, even if I need to chase you into the underworld itself. In fact, that seems pretty likely all things considered now."

Watching her dad lose track of himself certainly did the trick and Irina had a smile on her face, even for a second.

"So what's the problem?" Touji asked grabbing hold of Irina's arms

"I'm mad," Irina said.

"At who?" Touji asked pulling her into a hug.

"Myself," Irina said.

"And what exactly did you do to make you like this, because from what I heard you weren't a pushover at all, so you can't be mad that you lost to a-"

"It's not that." Irina interrupted. "I'm mad because I'm not mad."

"Pardon?" Touji asked.

"Well, it's like, I just lost my chance to go to heaven, my one shot at eternal happiness," Irina said, Touji nodded in understanding. "But I'm not mad at Rias-san for saving me. Because I didn't want to die. Even now I still don't want to die, I still want to go to school, I want to have friends I want to live. I wasn't ready for heaven, but now I never can be, and that should make me mad." Irina explained.

"Well then, I don't see what the problem is. You weren't done living and now you get to keep on living." Touji said.

"But is this even the life I want to live? I'm a devil, I was raised to believe that they are evil, and now I am one." Irina said.

"Look at Ise-kun," Touji said. "Look at Asia-san. Are they evil?"

"No." Irina looked down.

"Then you don't have to be either. I don't care if you are a devil, an angel or even a, a grim reaper." Touji said getting a giggle from his daughter. "As long as you are still Irina Shidou, you will still be my daughter."

"Thanks daddy," Irina said giving her dad a massive hug.

"No problem angel. Besides I'm sure heaven is overrated." Touji said.

"Well eternal paradise," Irina said.

"What were you expecting?" Touji asked.

"From Heaven?" Irina said. Touji nodded. "Well, If I was supposed to get eternal happiness, then I guess I would be with Issei forever." Touji stiffened at the thought of his daughter with a man but quickly quashed the feeling, who was he to get in the way of his daughter's love.

"What if this is just him giving you what you want?" Touji said.

"Eh?" Irina was confused.

Touji then explained what he meant "What if god" Irina winced." sent you here so that you would be resurrected as a devil." Touji said.

"Why would he do that?" Irina asked.

"They always said he works in mysterious ways, what if he sent you here, had you get killed and resurrected so that you could get to spend forever with Ise-kun," Touji said.

Irina blushed at the thought.

"Heck he probably had Issei become a devil so that he could get that harem of his," Touji said earning a strike from Irina. "What was that for."

"Don't bring that up please," Irina said.

"Well you've got some stiff competition, your new king is a knockout and Argento-san is dedicated to him in every way," Touji said blocking his daughters strike this time.

"Please stop talking," Irina begged.

"But you still have that big advantage on them." Touji taunted.

"And what is that?" Irina said.

"You might think that you were secretive about it, but." Touji pulled a picture out from his pocket, it was a picture of a young Irina and Issei, at her house having a sleepover, Issei was out cold on the floor and Irina was leaning over him giving him a kiss. "You did get his first kiss."

Outside.

Issei didn't hear much of what was going on, outside of the screaming and something about his parents 'having copies' but he wasn't there to listen in. He was there so that when everything cleared there was still someone around to point them in the right direction. The door opened and Irina walked out.

"You feeling better?" Issei asked.

"Yep," Irina replied before giving him a hug.

"What is this for," Issei said as his mind moved to think about the fact that her breasts were touching him right now.

"For getting angry for me," Irina said.

"Eh, well it's nothing," Issei said. "Come on, my parents have been worried about you. Since I had to get your dad's number off them you two need to come over for dinner now that he is here."

"Alright then," Irina said with a smile.


End file.
